What it means: The Giants are 6-4, but they have some serious issues to correct. The offense has vanished and couldn't do much of anything against a team that had lost four straight games.

Eli Manning is in a full-blown slump, throwing two interceptions and losing a fumble on Sunday. Any time Manning tries to go deep, the quarterback and his receiver just seem to be on the wrong page. The running game has no bite. The offensive line, which had been so good for much of the season, has protection breakdowns. Other times, Manning holds on to the ball too long. And third downs have become a major issue.

The defense continues to surrender big plays, and the special teams were spotty again as the Giants dropped to 0-6 all time at Cincinnati.

The Giants' coaching staff has a lot of work to do during the bye week. Perhaps the break will be good for the players to get away from this stinking mess.

Struggles continue: The Giants' offense is deteriorating.

Manning completed 15 of 20 passes in the first half but for only 107 yards. Manning, who was sacked twice in the first half, tried to jump-start the offense with short passes to Hakeem Nicks, who had seven receptions for 63 yards by halftime –- the most catches he has had since Week 2, when he had 10 receptions for 199 yards and a touchdown against Tampa Bay.

But it got worse in the third quarter. The Giants had a three-and-out, Ahmad Bradshaw then fumbled, and on the ensuing possession, Manning tried to make something happen with Geno Atkins hanging on him. But his pass was deflected by Michael Johnson, and Pat Sims picked off the pass at the Giants' 12 to set up another Bengals touchdown. That put the Bengals up 24-6 midway through the third.

Manning threw another interception while in Atkins' clutches, this time to Nate Clements, who returned it to the Giants' 16 to set up Andy Dalton's fourth touchdown pass. That pushed the Giants' deficit to 31-6.

Adding to the misery was the fact that the Giants lost Domenik Hixon to an ankle injury, and Victor Cruz dropped a sure touchdown in the fourth.

Go Green: The offense wasn't the only culprit. A.J. Green said last week that he saw holes in the Giants' defense, and he wasn't kidding.

On the fifth play of the game, Green took advantage of a Giants breakdown and waltzed into the end zone for a 56-yard touchdown after Corey Webster stopped short on coverage in what appeared to be a mix-up.

It was the ninth receiving touchdown of 26 yards or longer that the Giants have allowed this season.

The Bengals added another 11-yard touchdown pass from Dalton to Andrew Hawkins to take a 14-0 lead just 4:07 into the game.

Brown starts: The Giants started Andre Brown on the first play of the first and second half. Bradshaw still received the majority of the carries in the first three quarters, but he did lose a fumble.

• Maybe A.J. Green was right about the Giants' defense. The Bengals targeted Green their first five throws of the game and he caught three of them for 70 yards, including a 56-yard touchdown pass when he ran by cornerback Corey Webster on a sideline route and there was no safety help behind Webster. Green finished the first half with six catches for 86 yards and the touchdown.

It marks the eighth straight game in which Green has caught a touchdown pass. His score was the 11th reception of 30 or more yards outside the numbers allowed by the Giants' defense this season.

• Eli Manning and the offense did little to quell the rumblings of the past couple of weeks. The Giants gained just 35 yards in the first quarter as Cincinnati took a 14-3 lead. On their second score, the Bengals capitalized on a short-field opportunity created by Adam Jones' 68-yard punt return.

The Giants had their own short-field chance when Chase Blackburn forced a fumble by Brandon Tate on Cincinnati's next punt return, and Will Hill recovered at the Bengals' 27. After picking up one first down, the Giants had to settle for a 23-yard field goal by Lawrence Tynes.

It was the 39th red-zone possession of the season for the Giants, but the 20th time they've had to settle for a field goal. They came into the game ranked 24th in the NFL in red-zone touchdown percentage.

For the half, the Giants gained 69 of their 111 yards on their final drive. Despite reaching the Cincinnati 13, they again had to settle for another Tynes field goal.

• The defensive line gave Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton way too much time in the pocket. Dalton completed 15 of 20 passes for 161 yards and two touchdowns. It was nearly three touchdowns, but Andrew Hawkins couldn't get his feet inbounds in the end zone as he lingered there all alone.

• On the positive side for the Giants, Cincinnati has been outscored 67-23 in the third quarter this season and 136-84 in the second half as a whole. The Giants will get the ball to start the second half.

Cornerback Aaron Ross will visit with the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday according to a source.

The cornerback is looking for the best deal possible and a starting spot. The Giants re-signed cornerbacks Terrell Thomas, Michael Coe and Justin Tryon on Tuesday.

Thomas will start opposite Corey Webster if healthy. Thomas said his surgically repaired right ACL will be ready for training camp. Considering that the Giants are going after tight end Martellus Bennett and want to re-sign middle linebacker Jon Goff, it doesn't seem likely that the Giants will have a ton of money for Ross.